Twenty-Four Schoolgirls Released Amid Escalating Kidnapping Crisis in Nigeria
The Nigerian presidency has confirmed the release of twenty-four schoolgirls who were tragically abducted last week from a government boarding school in the country's northwestern region. This heartening news comes amidst a deepening security crisis marked by a surge in mass kidnappings targeting educational institutions and rural communities.
President Tinubu's Call for Action
President Bola Tinubu expressed immense relief over the girls' safe return, emphasizing the urgent need for heightened security measures. On Tuesday, he publicly urged security forces to redouble their efforts, not only to prevent future incidents but also to ensure the liberation of other individuals still held captive by armed gangs. “I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for,” President Tinubu stated. “Now we must put, as a matter of urgency, more boots on the ground in the vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping. My government will offer all the assistance needed to achieve this.”
The Kebbi Abduction Incident
The incident leading to the girls' abduction occurred on November 17 in Kebbi State. Armed assailants stormed their school shortly after a military detachment, tasked with guarding the premises, had departed. This pattern of opportunistic attacks highlights a critical vulnerability in many northern Nigerian regions, where local security forces are frequently overwhelmed by well-armed criminal groups demanding ransom.
Widespread Kidnappings: Kwara and Niger States
The crisis extends beyond Kebbi. In a separate, distressing event earlier this week, gunmen identified as “herders” seized ten women and children from Isapa village in Nigeria's western Kwara State. State police commissioner Ojo Adekimi reported that the attackers engaged in “sporadic shooting” during their Monday night raid. This incident follows closely on the heels of another abduction just a week prior in a neighbouring Kwara village, where thirty-five people were taken.
Perhaps the most alarming recent event unfolded last Friday in north-central Niger State, where attackers raided a Catholic school, abducting over three hundred students and staff in what is being described as the largest mass abduction in recent memory. While fifty students managed to escape over the weekend, hundreds remain missing.
Families' Anguish and Plea for Return
The emotional toll on families is profound. Parents of the abducted children voiced their desperate pleas for their loved ones' return. Michael Ibrahim, whose four-year-old son suffers from asthma, shared his agony with AFP, “My son is a small boy. He doesn't even know how to talk. We don't know the condition in which the boy is.” He added that the stress of the abduction had led to his wife being hospitalized. Another distraught father, Sunday Isaiku, cried out, “I need my child back. I need my child back. If I had the power to bring my child back, I would do it.” The children taken from St Mary's Catholic school include many of nursery-school age. As of four days post-abduction, no group has claimed responsibility or demanded ransom, leaving families in agonizing uncertainty.
This wave of kidnappings underscores a pressing security challenge for Nigeria, demanding a comprehensive and robust response to protect its vulnerable populations, especially children, and restore peace to affected communities.